


Hiding

by Uniasus



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Major Character Injury, Post-Season/Series 01, Serious Injuries, Sick Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-02
Updated: 2018-12-02
Packaged: 2019-09-05 12:16:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16810426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Uniasus/pseuds/Uniasus
Summary: It's only after going the whole day of not seeing Adora that Bow remembers the Horde taught her that displays of physical weakness were frowned upon. And Adora had been pretty beat up in the Battle for Bright Moon. She was probably hiding. Question was, where?





	Hiding

**Author's Note:**

> Heads up, not overly graphic, but I do go into detail about Adora's injuries. 
> 
> Also, I can't believe I wrote this so fast or fell for this fandom so fast. DURING NANO!

The day after the battle was a small bit of chaos. Most of Bright Moon’s residents had been injured, with a good deal unable to help in the recovery efforts the next day. But those who were able helped, and with members of the Alliance hale and healthy, the clean-up went well.

Except for one thing.

She-Ra was absent and people noticed.

“It’s not like I care, or anything,” Mermista said, calling up a wave to move a Horde tank, “but where’s the eight-foot princess?”

“Resting,” Glimmer replied. “She can’t recharge from a runestone like we can. And she took heavy hits yesterday.”

“Is she okay?” Perfuma asked. She was working on growing a new support for the Moonstone. Frosta’s ice wasn’t permanent, and Bright Moon would eventually have to commission or build a new stone pillar, but a sturdy tree growing around the ruined rock would do till then.

“Of course. She just has to recharge the normal way. By sleeping.”

After being purged of the Black Garnet’s influence yesterday, Glimmer felt a hundred percent. She and Bow, who’d fought mainly from a distance, had helped an exhausted Adora into her room last night. No doubt, she still slept.

When the kitchen started preparing to serve lunch, Glimmer went to knock on Adora’s door. Sleep was good, but so was food. Adora didn’t answer, so, softly, Glimmer opened the door to peek inside. The bed was neatly made and Adora was nowhere in sight. Perhaps she already went down to lunch.

Outside, in the shadow of the castle, long tables filled with food attracted everyone in Bright Moon. Glimmer took her time selecting what she wanted, her attention on searching the crowd for a blonde head. She was so distracted looking for her friend she ran into Bow without noticing.

“Who are you looking for?” He asked.

“Adora,” Glimmer admitted.

“She’s awake already?” Bow scanned the crowd of lunchers around them. “I don’t see her. Come on, let’s go look.”

They walked through the groups of people, getting pulled in various small conversations about updates and plans for further repairs. As Bright Moon’s Princess, and unofficial leader of the Princess Alliance, many people wanted Glimmer input. Bow’s skills as an engineer were also gaining renown and he found himself pulled into conversations too. By the time staff cleared away pots to clean, Glimmer realized hours had past and she hadn’t spotted Adora. Teleporting next to Bow, she asked, “Did you see her?”

He shook her head. “Maybe she went back to sleep.”

“I hope so,” Glimmer frowned. “She looked like she needed it last night.”

“Glimmer!”

She looked up at her name to see her mom flying toward her. Sighing, Glimmer turned to Bow.

“We’ll find her before dinner, right? We need to make sure she eats.”

“Of course. We’re the Best Friend Squad. We have to look after each other.”

* * *

As the day progressed, and more people noticed She-Ra’s absence, Glimmer found herself on the defensive. “She-Ra can’t do everything,” she snapped at Frosta. “She held off dozens of tanks and a Force Commander. She deserves time to recover.”

“Not much of a Princess of Power, is she, if she can’t handle a single battle.”

Bow caught Glimmer’s collar before she could punch the other princess. “Adora fought for hours before you and the other Princesses arrived,” he said. “And she’s fought in dozens of other battles, protecting other kingdoms. You don’t do so well at protecting yours, seeing as myself and Glimmer got kidnapped by the Horde while in in your borders.”

Frosta sniffed and left to help somewhere else.

“Thanks, Bow,” Glimmer said. “They need to stop relying on She-Ra. Adora can only do so much.”

“She should make an appearance though.” Bow looked apologetic even as he said it. “Frosta’s not the only one talking, and we don’t want people to not like Adora.”

“Yeah," Glimmer sighed. "She should be better tomorrow anyway if she slept all day. Adora can help in the morning. Now come on, let’s get her for dinner.”

* * *

Knocking on Adora’s door for the second time that day, Glimmer again got no response. Pushing it open, Bow craning his neck above hers, she noticed the room was empty again. Or maybe it would be more accurate to say _still_ empty because it looked untouched since she’d last checked on Adora.

“I don’t get it,” Glimmer said, hands on her hips. “If Adora’s awake, where is she?”

“Maybe she’s hiding.”

“Hiding?”

Bow didn’t answer right away, looking out the window. Unlike Glimmer’s view, which was of the castle’s exteriors, Adora’s looked into the castle’s courtyard. Damage inside the walls had been less than outside, but he could still see the pile of cracked stones of the fallen bulwark.

“Remember what she said when we thought you just had a cold? That in the Horde, if she was sick she’d hide. Displaying physical weakness was something they avoided. And I’m betting she woke up feeling pretty weak.”

Glimmer nodded, then frowned. “Where would she hide?”

“No clue. The castle is huge, and if she wanted to she could probably hide for a day or two. But I have a better idea than us going searching for her.”

“Yeah?”

“I can see Swift Wind from here. Wanna bet he could lead us to her?”

Glimmer jogged over to the window. Sure enough, the now self-aware uniasus was inside the castle walls, nose to the ground like a hunting dog. Grabbing Bow’s arm, she teleported the pair of them in from of Swift Wind’s muzzle.

“Looking for Adora?” Glimmer asked.

Swift Wind snorted at her. “Who wants to know?”

“Us, obviously.”

“I don’t think Adora wants to see you.” Swift Wind shook his neck, rainbow mane flying.

“Can you do that?” Bow asked. “Sense her thoughts?”

“Of course.” The uniasus puffed his chest out, but quickly lowered his head. “Not really. Just flickers of emotions. If I concentrate. She wants to be alone now, but I’m worried.”

“Us too, Swifty,” Bow patted the uniasus’s neck. “I haven’t seen her since last night, and I’m worried she’s hurt more than we realized. If you’re heading towards her, take us with you.”

He snorted but agreed. “You’d probably be better able to help Adora anyway. Having hands.”

Bow looked down at his own two hands. “They are pretty…handy.”

Glimmer groaned. “Bow. But wait here real quick. I need to get something.”

In an instant, she teleported away. Half a minute later, Glimmer reappeared with a bag overflowing with medical supplies, as well as a loaf of bread. “If she’s hiding cuz she’s hurt. We’ll need these. And I don’t know if she’s eaten all day.”

“Good idea,” Bow said.

“This way,” Swift Wind said, leading the way. He crossed the courtyard, climbed up a flight of stairs, then down another. Eventually, they started making their way progressively upwards until they found themselves in a far back tower. It was an old guest room, filled with dust, which made the footprints more visible.

They stopped at the bed, which like Adora’s own bed was empty. On a hunch, Glimmer crouched down and looked underneath the bed frame. There laid Adora, sleeping; her cheek pressed to the cold stone floor and her hand curled around the handle of her sword. She looked exhausted, wan, and strands of hair had slipped free of her ponytail to stick to her face.

“She doesn’t look so good.”

Glimmer looked to Bow, who’d crouched down next to see too.

“No,” Glimmer admitted. “I get that it’s a weird Horde thing she feels like she has to hide, but sleeping under the bed can’t be good for her.” Lying flat on her belly, she stuck a hand under the bed. Just a quick shake, then Adora would wake up and she could sleep _on_ the bed in the room.

Sadly, her arms were too short. After a full minute of straining, she gave up. “You try,” Glimmer told Bow, moving over.

Glimmer watched as Bow reached out a hand, all the way until he could poke Adora in the cheek. “Hey. Adora. Wake up.”

She didn’t move. Bow scooted forward, straining, and he managed to place his full palm against her face. “Adora, oh that’s not good.”

Glimmer jumped on his concern. “What?”

“She’s burning up. She has a fever. We need to get her out of there. Glimmer?”

The princess eyed the space under the bed, it’d be a tight fit and she didn’t want to cut herself on Adora’s sword, but for Adora there was little she wouldn’t do. In a blink, she’d teleported half under the bed, the stone pressing into her stomach and the boards pushing into her back. But from here she could easily grasp Adora’s calf. In a flash of light, she teleported herself and her friend ten inches up. They flopped on the bed.

Instantly, Glimmer crawled up the mattress to meet Bow and Swift Wind in peering into Adora’s face. No longer in the shadows, it was easy to see the pink tinge to her cheeks. The sweat-stuck dust and hair.

“Oh, Adora,” Glimmer said, brushing hair off her friend’s face. “You don’t have to hide like this here. We can help you.”

Adora had some awareness for at the contact she grumbled, tightened her grip on the sword, and turned her cheek. Everyone gasped.

Bow and Glimmer had seen the claw marks last night, of course. A gift from Catra, they had assumed, but they weren’t too worried about the shallow cuts as they put Adora to bed the previous evening. It was now obvious they should have because underneath a too-small bit of gauze they could see the cuts were infected.

Red and puffy, the stood out starkly against Adora’s pale skin and Glimmer wondered if they would scar.

Bow broke through her thoughts. “It can’t just be her cheeks. An infection that small wouldn’t have spread so fast. Not unless Catra poisoned her nails.”

Gently, Glimmer peeled the bandage off Adora’s face. The blonde teen winced but didn’t wake. The cuts were, thankfully, only mildly infected, affecting just the area around the scratch. “I think you’re right, Bow. We missed something else. You and Swift Wind, go get some warm water and bring it here.”

“I’m not leaving Adora like this.” Bow crossed his arms.

“If I’m finding her other injuries I have to undress her.” Glimmer shot Bow and Swift Wind dry looks. “Which means no boys.”

“Stallion,” Swift Wind said.

“Still male,” Glimmer shot back.

Bow held up both hands. “No worries. I’ll leave that to you. I’ll grab her a change of clothes too.”

“Thanks, Bow. And…if you run into my mom, she should know She-Ra’s injured. No one else, they’ll crowd and ask questions and I don’t think Adora will like that. But as leader of the Rebellion, Queen Angella needs to know.”

Bow nodded grimly before pushing on Swift Wind’s withers to get him moving. “We’ll be back as soon as we can.”

Once the boys were gone, Glimmer got to work. First, she pried the sword out of Adora’s hands, which was much harder than Glimmer expected it to be. Even sick Adora had a tight grip. Then, she worked her way up Adora's body.

She took off Adora’s boots, noting the pink, irritated spots on Adora’s soles and what looked like popped blood blisters. Then she took off Adora’s pants, revealing cuts and bruises, but nothing too serious. But when Glimmer took off Adora’s top –

Glimmer brought a hand to her mouth to keep from crying. “Stupid, stupid, Adora. If you hide with these, no one can help you.”

Adora’s connection to the sword and the extent of She-Ra’s powers were still a mystery, but as she was known to be a healer Glimmer had expected no lasting damage to be done to Adora’s body. Adora had switched before, after all, with wounds not following. But now she wondered if Glimmer had simply not noticed, or if Adora was just that good at hiding weaknesses.

Overlooking the scars, no doubt from Horde training, Glimmer concentrated on the newer injuries Adora had hidden under her shirt. There were electric burn marks on her arms, from the Horde’s shock cables. Her back was a giant mess of purple and blue as if she had landed on it from a great fall. And halfway covering her upper back, Adora’s pitiful attempt at self-treatment, was more gauze that did nothing to cover the full extent of ten claw marks.

Gently, Glimmer peeled off the gauze. It cracked, dried blood and puss making it stiff, and she found herself amazed the injury hadn't bleed through Adora’s shirt. Horde tech, she supposed.

Glimmer held her left hand over the gouges on Adora’s back. One for each finger, already pretty deep, and one thinner, but deeper, parallel wound that had to have come from Catra’s thumb. None of the ten wounds were bleeding, but they were dewy with puss and if Glimmer had to guess the infection had spread across all of Adora’s back. The bruising made it had to tell, but the back of her neck was an ugly pink and Glimmer could see the swelling.

“You’re so stupid,” Glimmer said again, swiping at her eyes, “Something like this could kill you, Adora.”

Her friend gave no answer, lost to a fever sleep.

Glimmer dived into the medical bag she’d brought and pulled out supplies. Disinfectant, gauzes, and bandages. And ice pack, though honestly, Adora might need an ice bath right now to pull down her fever. Well, Glimmer could teleport at get those supplies later. First step was to clean Adora’s wounds.

A knock sounded on the door. Glimmer hastily covered Adora from the hip down before going to open it.

“How bad is it?” Bow asked, arms full of supplies.

Swift Wind trotted in after him, holding a steaming bucket in his teeth with a few towels over his back. The uniasus gently laid the bucket next to the bed then sniffed Adora’s back. With a snort, he pulled away. “She smells like death.”

“Well, she’s not going to die. Bow, help me wash her back.”

They went slowly and silently, tossing aside dirty towels and then using cleans ones to try her skin. Swift Wind stood at the head of the bed, keeping an ice pack on Adora’s forehead. Dabbing disinfectant got no reaction out of Adora, which worried Glimmer. She knew from experience it could sting. Bow and Glimmer placed bandage everywhere they could, and then Glimmer sent Swift Wind out for a heavier blanket while Bow helped her wrap long bandages around Adora’s chest. It was a little awkward, Bow had his eyes closed the entire time to avoid looking at Adora's chest, but Glimmer guessed that Adora’s ribs had taken a beating too and needed the support.

“What do we do now?” Bow asked once Adora was clean, bandaged, and bundled under blankets.

“We watch her,” Swift Wind said. He’d sunk to his knees, resting his head on the bed near Adora. Whatever connection the sword had forged between the two of them, it had made the uniasus very protective of Adora. He went against his animal instincts for her, and Glimmer guessed if anything happened to Swift Wind Adora would act similarly.

“Yeah, we watch her.” Glimmer said. She looked out the window. It was dark and they’d skipped dinner. “Bow and I should go get dinner, but we’ll be back. Her bandages will need to be changed in the morning. You okay if we leave for an hour, Swifty?”

“Bring me back alfalfa.”

“You got it.”

* * *

While Bow got food from the kitchen, Glimmer restocked their supplies. More gauze, towels, bandages. She wished, not for the first time, she knew more than field medical work. It had been part of one of her mom’s requirements for being a Commander– know how to treat wounds in battle. But that didn’t go beyond cleaning and dressing wounds. What Adora needed was actual medicine, and staring at the items in the infirmary she didn’t know which ones to pick for her friend.

As she hovered her fingers over first one, then another, her mother walked in. Quietly, Angella closed the door behind her.

“How is Adora?”

Glimmer threw herself into her mom’s arms. “She’s really sick, Mom. One of her injuries got infected and it looks bad. She’s got a fever, and hasn’t woken, and there’s so _many_ bruises, and scars from the Horde, and-" she trailed off into hiccupping sobs.

Angella stoked her daughter’s hair. “I’m sure Adora will heal. It will take some time, but she is strong. Come, I’ll show you what’s for what.” One by one, the queen pulled down medicinal potions and explained them to Glimmer.

Glimmer dried her tears and committed her mother’s lesson to memory. The green for pain relief, the yellow to reduce a fever. Red to help beat back an infection. A white cream to help reduce bruising. And a cream colored one, for later, to reduce scarring.

A knock on the door announced Bow’s presence before he stuck his head in the room. “Your Majesty!”

“It’s alright, Bow. We’re almost done picking out medicine for Adora.” Carefully, Glimmer added all the vials into her bag.

“Glimmer.”

“Yeah, Mom?”

“If Adora doesn’t wake up tomorrow, you must alert me. I know you want to make her feel safe, but if she’s that deeply injured there are things I must do.”

Swallowing, Glimmer nodded. “What will you tell everyone else tomorrow when they realize She-Ra and I are gone?”

“That I sent you to check for Horde spies in the woods. Now go see to your friend.”

Grabbing Bow, Glimmer teleported them back into the tower room. Adora and Swift Wind hadn’t moved, and after the warmth of downstairs Glimmer realized how cold it was up here. In a flash, she was in Adora’s room, gathering up her blankets, and then back in the tower. Then she went to gather bedding for her and Bow to sleep on the floor. Because neither of them were leaving.

While Swift Wind munched his treat, Glimmer and Bow managed to get Adora to drink some of the potions. Then, there was nothing to do but sleep.

Not that she got much of it.

Settled on the floor near the bed, Glimmer kept her ears open and listening to Adora’s breath. Sometimes it hitched, and Glimmer’s heart stopped, but Adora’s next breath would come and Glimmer would breathe easy.

How could she have not noticed any of this last night? She’d seen glimpses of the fight with Catra, watched She-Ra collapse in the lake. But she had stood so tall with all the princesses. Looked so regal and powerful as she watched the Horde retreat.

She should have taken those moments of weakness as they were. Periods of pain so intense Adora or She-Ra couldn’t hide it.

“Glimmer?” Bow asked in the dark.

“Yeah?”

“Are you crying?”

“No.” But she could still feel the slow track of tears falling down her face.

“Adora will be okay.”

“I know.”

“I wish she would have told us.” Bow sighed, and Glimmer could imagine him turned to look at Adora on the bed. He was further away, so he could probably see her. Glimmer had wanted to make sure she could hear her friend breathe instead.

“We’re not the Horde,” Bow said. “She can trust us.”

“She does,” Glimmer said. “But…”

She trailed off, remembering her mom’s outburst a few days ago. Admitting how she felt about King Micah’s death. Adora didn’t talk about the Horde, just like Angella hadn’t talked about the past either. And once you had a long-reaching habit it like that, it was often hard to break.

“We just have to keep reminding her Bright Moon is different,” Glimmer said. “Showing weakness here doesn’t mean someone might take advantage of you. It means you can get help when you need it.”

“We need to teach her that too, to ask for help.”

“She’s a work in progress,” Glimmer admitted. Adora had, after all, gone off by herself into the Crystal Castle. But she had done her best to provide help to others. Knew that Glimmer and Bow would follow her into battle. One day, Adora would seek out help. Hopefully, she learnt that lesson soon.

“I hope she wakes up tomorrow,” Glimmer whispered after a long period of silence.

“Me too,” Bow said.

* * *

Adora did not get better during the night, but she didn’t get worse either. Glimmer wheedled information about how to administer an ice bath from one of the healers, and together she and Bow laid Adora in a tub filled with ice water shortly after breakfast. They had to be careful to keep her upright, so as to not drown in the water, but it was difficult figuring out a way to do that without bothering Adora’s back. The ended up putting her in the tub face first, with Glimmer and Bow taking turns at the end holding Adora up by her armpits.

It seemed to work because Adora felt less warm when they pulled her out, dried her off, and reapplied her bandages. The bruises on her legs were healing, the cut on her face was less puffy, and the electric burns on her arms and feet were starting to heal. The colors of her back had started to shift, but the marks left by Catra looked no different.

They spent the day in numerous configurations around the bed Adora slept in. Swift Wind with his head near Adora’s mouth, while Glimmer sat near her head to stroke her hair. Bow holding Adora’s hand tightly, while Glimmer changed the small bandages on Adora’s feet. Swift Wind holding a wing over Adora’s head the few hours the sun shined on it, Bow napping out on the bed next to Adora.

By dinner time, Adora still hadn’t woken, though her fever had lowered further. Glimmer took that as a good sign, even as she felt the heat of Adora’s skin while she cleaned her back.

Glimmer traced the lines on Adora’s back in the air, moving her right hand the way Catra must have. She was surprised Catra had been so violent, especially after the other girl had helped them escape a few weeks ago. Glimmer knew what the relationship between Catra and Adora was weirder than the feelings between Bow and herself at the Princess Prom, but she never thought Catra would go as far as this. Catra wanted to _win,_ have _power_. But to kill Adora? Glimmer never thought that notation had entered Catra’s mind.

When Glimmer caught Bow doing the same thing, putting together Catra’s attack while they rebound Adora’s ribs, she held Bow’s eyes.

“Those will leave pretty big scars,” she said softly.

“Yeah,” he said.

Swift Wind knickered softly. “I don’t think it’ll be the first scar Catra gives Adora.”

Bow and Glimmer looked to the uniasus, who looked more serious than they had ever seen him. His eyes stayed on Adora as Bow gently laid her down. “Catra will seek out Adora, and she’ll always take the bait to fight her.”

“Not if I fight her first,” Glimmer said. She curled her hands into a fist. “I’m healed now. And I might not have She-Ra’s strength, but I can teleport behind that cat and give her a good solid kick.”

“I’ll hit her with a sonic arrow,” Bow said. “Or a stink bomb one. With her cat’s senses, it’ll be distracting and allow you to get in _three_ kicks.”

“And then I’ll trample her,” Swift Wind added.

“I want Catra to show up now,” Glimmer laughed.

She wanted Adora to wake up more, though. She placed a hand on her friend’s forehead. “Please.”

Adora’s answer was a wheeze.

* * *

Glimmer spent the night curled up in a ball on the bed, hand in front of Adora’s face to feel each of her breaths. She didn’t know the last time Adora had opened her eyes. The last time Adora had eaten.

The burn in her eyes when she learned Entrapta had died while on the mission to save her was nothing to the sting in her nose now. The way her eyelids wanted to drop, but she couldn’t close them. _Please, please, please wake up,_ Glimmer thought.

* * *

Eventually, Glimmer did fall asleep, and when she woke up she no longer had a view of Adora’s face. Sometime during the night, Adora had turned her head and that made Glimmer hopeful. Gently, she rolled out of bed. At the motion, Adora turned her head again.

“Adora!”

Adora was awake, eyes sleepy and glassy, but awake. “Glim’r?” she murmured, then coughed.

“Stay like that, stay awake. I’ll get some water.” 

She quickly teleported away and came back ladened with water, juice, broth, and bread. Anything Adora might want for breakfast. While she’d been gone, Bow and Swift Wind had woken up. Swift Wind playfully chewed the end of Adora’s ponytail. Bow had wide, wet eyes as he clasped Adora’s hand.

“I know it’s a Horde thing,” he said. “But you can’t do this next time. If you’re hurt, you tell us.”

“I’ll get Mom to make it a command if I need to,” Glimmer said.

Adora tried to speak but coughed. Instantly, Bow had her propped up on his shoulder and Glimmer helped her drink a glass of water. Glimmer tried to ignore how Adora’s arm shook.

“You have to promise to tell,” Glimmer said once Adora was done. “Because you not treating your wounds right and hiding got them infected. Adora, you had us so scared.”

“Sorry,” she said, eyes slipping closed.

“You can be weak with us,” Bow said. “We won’t take advantage of you.”

“We’ll help you,” Glimmer added.

Adora made a soft sound, slipping back into dreamland.

Sighing, Bow eased Adora off his shoulder. “Well, at least she’s getting better.”

“Yeah.”

Glimmer and Bow pulled each other into a hug, relieved and happy. Adora would live. She’d be okay.

In a moment, they’d change her bandages. Wake her for lunch later. And in a few days, help her get her strength back with exercises and come up with lame excuses for her to tell the princesses. But for now, they just needed to breathe. Let the worry fade.

They hadn’t lost Adora. They _wouldn’t_ lose Adora. Right now, nothing else mattered.

**Author's Note:**

> Gah. I don't need a new obsession, but here it is. Review are lovely, or you could stalk me on Tumblr as [Uniasus](uniasus.tumblr.com).


End file.
